Shockingly low numbers of Western Monarch butterflies have been counted so far in Pismo Beach. Officials say, while it’s still early in the season, they have only counted roughly 406 butterflies in the Pismo Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove. Researchers say the Western Monarch butterfly population has declined by more than 90% since the 1990s. They add that Climate, habitat loss, insecticides and a decline in milkweed are interlocking causes of the population decline.
